3 success factors of a highly effective sales force

Emiliano Trezzi

Having an effective and properly deployed sales force is key to success in FMCG. The most brilliant marketing strategies fail if not properly implemented, while execution excellence can turn simple plans into blockbusters.

Based on our long-term experience and knowledge of the FMCG industry, we know that companies with an effective and well-deployed sales force outperform their competitors in growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

Yet, an inefficient or wrongly deployed sales force will quickly add disproportionate costs that can wipe out the benefits of top-line growth. Going to the wrong customers, failing to update the sales force mission, not taking into account changes in omnicanality, digitization, or customer preferences rapidly add inefficiencies that inflate the cost-to-serve.

At Globalpraxis we have developed a dynamic tool to optimize any FMCG sales force, bolstered by three areas of expertise:

  1. Our unique outside-in pragmatic methodology for customer segmentation
  2. Our advanced analytical capabilities to leverage transactional, syndicated, and ad hoc data
  3. Our extensive knowledge of FMCG sales force standards and best practices across mature, developing, and emerging markets

What prompts a sales force review?

  • Change in corporate strategy, such as a new vision, M&A, new markets…
  • Change in commercial strategies, such as new categories and brands, consumer and shopper strategy, channel and customer strategy…
  • Change in the competitive landscape, driven by competitors, retailers, distributors, or regulatory action
  • Change in the service strategy, driven by technology, digitization, omnicanality, itinerancy…
  • Long overdue sales force revision (more than 3 years)